aku-aku: v.. To move a tall, flat bottomed object (such as a bookshelf) by swiveling it alternatively on its corners in a "walking" fashion. [After the book by Thor Heyerdahl theorising the statues of Easter Island were moved in this fashion.] source: LangMaker.com. Aku Aku also has another meaning to the islanders: a spiritual guide.

This is from last October, just after the California recall election, but I just ran across it now: From Burning Man To Running Man by John Perry Barlow. He serves up analysis on the efficacy of today's creative, intellectual and progressive class against the harsh political realities of a anti-scientific government and non-skeptical citizen population.

Of course, my pal and Mondo 2000 editor R.U. Sirius made a solid point when he said, , "It stands to reason that self-righteous, inflexible, single-minded, authoritarian true believers are politically organized. Open-minded, flexible, complex, ambiguous, anti-authoritarian people would just as soon be left to mind their own fucking business."

You bet we would, but can we afford to any longer? And, if not, how can we shake off the confusion, poverty, disarray, willed hallucination, paralysis, denial, and cultural isolation we've created over the last half century and run these overgrown hall monitors and out of office?

It's a sobering read. My own thoughts have run along similar lines lately, but to be honest I think I push them into the background as often as I can, to avoid despair.